


Replacable

by jakia



Series: Essek Week [5]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Black Comedy, Gallows Humor, Jokes About Death, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:54:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23446591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jakia/pseuds/jakia
Summary: Years in the future, one of Essek's students has a crush on him, which Caleb insists on teasing him about.Shadowgast; written for Essek Week 2020: Teaching/Invention
Relationships: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast
Series: Essek Week [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1682107
Comments: 10
Kudos: 245
Collections: Essek Week





	Replacable

Essek enjoys teaching. It’s not the path he would have chosen for himself, all those years ago, but as far as places he’s ended up he could have done a lot worse. For many years, he thought his future lied at the end of a hangman’s noose, so to find a humble future here, with a man he loves, teaching dunamancy to young minds, is nothing short of a marvel.

Still, he wishes sometimes that his students would take a _hint._

“Tanis,” he tells the young red haired half-elf student of his, the one who has been in his office for the past hour, rambling about dunamancy. He has spent the past thirty minutes trying to subtly convince the young man to leave, but apparently subtly is not one of Tanis’s fortes. “I appreciate your enthusiasm on this topic, and I would love to discuss this with you more, but I’ve got to meet with the Headmaster soon, and I need a little time to prepare. If we could talk more tomorrow?”

(Actually, Caleb is outside his door right now, waiting patiently, but it wouldn’t do to make this young man feel bad about himself, especially since he just had questions.)

Tanis looks at him sheepishly, his cheeks having a slight red tint to them. A part of his human heritage, Essek suspects. “I’m so sorry, Professor Widogast!” Tanis says, a little ashamed of himself. He has freckles across his nose, the same that Caleb has, although his eyes are green, not blue. “I completely lost track of time!”

“It’s fine, Tanis.”

“--And you said I could come back tomorrow? I have a few more questions on the nature of dunamus, and I’m really worried I may do poorly on the exam and--”

“ _Tomorrow_ , Tanis,” Essek holds the door open for him, in hopes of encouraging him to leave. His plan works, as the young half-elf skitters out the door with barely a head nod in his direction goodbye, holding his books close to his face, likely trying to hide its redness.

Caleb has the good sense to wait until the young man is out of earshot before he drops his invisibility. He’s leaning against the wall beside Essek’s office, his arms crossed coolly. “You have an admirer,” he says plainly, pushing himself off of the wall.

Essek snorts at him. “Where did you get _that_ idea?” He opens his office door widely for Caleb, and waits for Caleb to enter before following. “He’s just another student.”

“He has a _crush_ , liebling,” Caleb teases, taking a seat on the couch in Essek’s office. 

“He has an obsession with dunamancy--”

“I don’t think he gives a shit about dunamancy, if we’re being honest,” Caleb muses, pulling lunch out of his haversack for himself and Essek. “He wants to talk about it because it gives him an excuse to talk to _you_ , one on one.”

Essek rolls his eyes and glides over to his tea set. He’s had a pot of water that’s been boiling for half an hour now, and if he’s lucky there will still be enough water left in the pot for two cups--one for him and one for Caleb. “You are being _ridiculous_.”

“I’m not,” Caleb cuts the sandwich in half, putting half on a plate for Essek before taking a bite out of the other half. “He even looks a little bit like me. Looking to trade me in for a younger model?”

“ _Stop_ ,” Essek laughs, pouring the hot water into a cup. He balances the two cups on a tray, carrying them over to his husband. 

“Not even dead in the ground yet, and you’re already trying to replace me--”

“I could _never_ replace you,” Essek promises, setting the tray down beside Caleb before leaning over to kiss him. He tastes a little bit like the sandwich he’s eating, but Essek finds he doesn’t mind too much. “At least not this century.”   
  


“Ha ha,” Caleb scowls, playing the part of a jaded lover perfectly. “You aren’t funny.”

“Oh no,” Essek grins, picking up his own sandwich to take a bite. “I’m _hilarious_. Trading you in for a younger model, you’re so _funny_.”

Caleb smiles, and picks up his cup of tea. “Gonna keep me around a little longer, eh?”

“I’m going to sleep with your _bones_ ,” Essek teases. “You think _death_ is going to get you out of this relationship? I signed up for _life_ ,” Essek wiggles his ring finger, the gold wedding band sparkling in the light of his office. “ _My_ life, for this one and whatever comes after it.”

“Glad to know I’m not going to be replaced by a student,” Caleb teases, his eyes bright.

“Absolutely not. I’m going to get someone to stuff your corpse, like those ladies who keep their dead dogs around--”

“Oh my gosh.”

“--and if I happen to go first, you better _believe_ I’m coming back as a ghost and haunting the fuck out of you--”

“I love you, too,” Caleb grins, and kisses him to shut him up. 


End file.
